Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-16
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The plans below show a harbour in 2000 and how it looks today.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
The plans here illustrates that how harbour looked in 2000 and how it looks today.
Overall, the Porth harbour undergone several changes. From simpler harbour to more advanced and have more facilities than it had in the year 2000.
It had simple layout in 2000. It had a main road in the west of harbour which used to join its different areas. On the northern side, there was a public beach, along which passenger ferries can be seen. A dock for ships to be load and fishing boats too. On the western side there was a one specific area for showers and toilets, and had marina for private yachts beside this. A car parking area connected with main road, was also present in the year 2000. Another car parking area can be seen in southern side which connected with road having lifeboat. There was also a public beach in southern side and a disused castle right across the public beach.
Today, many areas in Porth harbour either replaced with other areas or converted into new areas. Firstly, the disused castle is converted to hotel and the private beach along the hotel is specifically associated with it. Cafes and shops are opened near the life boat area. Number of boats also increased in today's layout. Mariana and fishing boats area interchanged. Public beach remained as it was in 2000, Two car parking areas now connected with main road and every car parking area now have showers and toilets along them.
In conclusion, Porth harbour witnessed several changes in its layout and offer better facilities today.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the harbour in 2000 and today, identifying key changes such as the conversion of the castle and the expansion of facilities. However, the description is sometimes imprecise. For example, stating 'Mariana and fishing boats area interchanged' is a bit vague, and the overview is slightly simplistic. While all parts of the task are addressed, the reporting of data could be more analytical by focusing more on the spatial relationships and the extent of the changes. The summary is functional but lacks a high level of detail in comparing the two time periods effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs for each time period, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'In conclusion', and 'Today', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the referencing is occasionally confusing, such as 'along which passenger ferries can be seen' without clearly linking back to the specific location. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the overall structure supports the reader's understanding of the changes over time.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. There are some repetitive word choices and minor errors in collocation, such as 'ships to be load' instead of 'ships to be loaded' and 'Mariana' instead of 'marina'. While the student attempts to describe the changes using terms like 'converted', 'replaced', and 'interchanged', the range is somewhat limited. To improve, the student should focus on using more sophisticated vocabulary related to urban planning and spatial description.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'The plans here illustrates that how harbour looked' (subject-verb agreement and word order issues) and 'every car parking area now have' (subject-verb agreement). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are issues with articles (e.g., 'in west of harbour'). While the errors do not prevent communication, they are persistent enough to limit the score. A greater focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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